By Charly SHELTON

On the night of Aug. 22, the fog rolled back into Knott’s Berry Farm, signaling the official countdown to Halloween with the much-anticipated Nightmares Revealed event. This exclusive preview set the stage for the 51st season of Knott’s Scary Farm, teasing the horrors that await as Southern California’s most iconic Halloween event returns from Sept. 19 through Nov. 2.

At the event, the crowd buzzed with excitement as the night’s host, Jeff Tucker, took the stage with his signature blend of humor and macabre enthusiasm.

“Halloween can’t come soon enough,” he proclaimed, capturing the collective anticipation of those eager for the scares to begin. “Keep your swimming pools; I only want it if it’s full of corpses. Keep your beach balls; I want eyeballs. Keep your bright sun; I’ll take a red moon over a whole street of fog any day!”

Tucker, alongside the ever-enchanting Leanna Vamp, unveiled a series of spine-chilling announcements that promise to make this year’s Knott’s Scary Farm one for the books.

Among the new offerings is the brand new maze “Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman,” which transports guests to an 18th-century colonial township under siege by a flesh-eating monster. The maze’s eerie atmosphere, combined with the looming threat of being the next meal for Eight Fingers Nine, is sure to leave even the bravest souls trembling.

“His victims enter sleep paralysis,” Tucker explained, detailing the horrifying scenario where victims are slowly consumed, one finger at a time, as they lie helpless in their nightmares. The creative team behind the maze sourced their terrors from actual first-hand accounts of what some have seen during sleep paralysis and created a maze around those literal nightmares.

Also new this year is “Widows,” a maze that takes arachnophobia to new heights. Set in a decaying nursing home, demonic black widows emerge from their webs to possess the bodies of the elderly, seeking to hatch their eggs before sunrise. The maze’s grim atmosphere, complete with deteriorating walls and endless spider webs, is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine. (One note – some of the gags, which I won’t detail specifically here, were described to us at the event and are rather graphic. Anyone who has even a slight fear of spiders may find aspects of this maze very scary. That could be a good thing for a Halloween event, until you feel that spider web hit your face.)

This year’s event also pays significant tribute to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, with the “Yours Cruelly, Elvira EXXperience” at the Walter Knott Theater. Celebrating more than 40 years of Elvira’s iconic presence at Knott’s Scary Farm, this experience features video highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, and rare memorabilia from her illustrious career. Fans will have the chance to see Elvira’s Macabre Mobile up close and even meet the Queen of Halloween herself during select autograph sessions on three nights throughout the season.

In addition to the new mazes, several fan-favorite haunts are returning, including “Room 13,” “Cinema Slasher” and “The Chilling Chambers.” This year will also be the final opportunity to experience “Wax Works” and “Bloodline 1842” as these mazes prepare for their final bow. For those who love the immersive terror of the scare zones, classics like “Ghost Town Streets” and “The Gore-ing 20s” will be back to terrorize guests as they make their way through the park.

The Nightmares Revealed event offered a tantalizing glimpse into what promises to be an unforgettable season of scares at Knott’s Scary Farm. As Jeff Tucker aptly put it, “Knott’s Scary Farm is such an amazing event. Each maze is meticulously detailed, each zone impeccably decorated, and each show built to perfection.” The passion and creativity of the entire team behind Knott’s Scary Farm were evident, and fans left the event with a sense of eager anticipation.

Mark your calendars — Knott’s Scary Farm runs from Sept. 19 to Nov. 2, with tickets already selling fast. Don’t miss your chance to experience the nightmares that await. For more information and tickets, visit KnottsScaryFarm.com.